A fuel nature measuring device for measuring the nature of fuel stored in a fuel tank includes a measurement passage, a gas flow generator, a pressure detector, an concentration operator, a temperature detector, and a volatility calculator. The measurement passage has an orifice. The gas flow generator generates gas flow in the measurement passage. The pressure detector detects a differential pressure between opposite ends of the orifice. The concentration operator determines a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when the opposite ends of the measurement passage communicate with the fuel tank and the fuel flows in the measurement passage. The temperature detector determines a temperature of the fuel in the fuel tank. The volatility calculator calculates a volatility of the fuel in the fuel tank based on the concentration of the evaporated fuel and the temperature of the fuel in the tank.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A fuel nature measuring device, for measuring the nature of fuel stored in a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine, the measuring device comprising: a measurement passage having an orifice therein; gas flow generating means for generating a gas flow in said measurement passage; differential pressure detecting means for detecting a differential pressure between opposite ends of said orifice; evaporated fuel concentration operating means for determining a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicates with said fuel tank and the fuel in the fuel tank flows in said measurement passage; temperature detecting means for determining a temperature of the fuel in said fuel tank; volatility calculation means for calculating a volatility of the fuel in said fuel tank as the fuel nature based on the concentration of the evaporated fuel determined by said evaporated fuel concentration operation means and the temperature determined by said temperature detecting means; a canister for storing an absorbent that temporarily absorbs the evaporated fuel guided from the fuel tank through a conduit; and a purge passage that guides gas in the canister including evaporated fuel desorbed from said absorbent into an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine and purges said evaporated fuel.
2. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a purge control valve provided in said purge passage to adjust a purge flow rate; and another evaporated fuel concentration operation means for determining a concentration of the evaporated fuel based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicate with said canister and fuel in the canister flows in said measurement passage.
3. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising fuel tank state detecting means for detecting a change in the state of said fuel tank.
4. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 3 , wherein said fuel tank state detecting means detects whether a fuel cap of said fuel tank is open or closed.
5. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 3 , wherein said fuel tank state detecting means detects an amount of the fuel in the fuel tank and it is determined that the tank is in the process of being filled when the fuel amount is increased to a predetermined reference amount.
6. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel nature is measured at prescribed time intervals.
7. The fuel nature measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein said temperature detecting means detects a temperature at a location other than the fuel tank, and estimates the temperature of the fuel based on the temperature detected at the location other than said fuel tank.
8. An internal combustion engine for measuring a fuel nature, the internal combustion engine comprising: a measurement passage having an orifice therein; gas flow generating means for generating a gas flow in said measurement passage; differential pressure detecting means for detecting a differential pressure between opposite ends of said orifice; evaporated fuel concentration operating means for determining a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicates with said fuel tank and the fuel in the fuel tank flows in said measurement passage; temperature detecting means for determining a temperature of the fuel in said fuel tank; volatility calculation means for calculating a volatility of the fuel in said fuel tank as the fuel nature based on the concentration of the evaporated fuel determined by said evaporated fuel concentration operation means and the temperature determined by said temperature detecting means; correction amount setting means for setting a correction amount for an injection amount of fuel based on the measured fuel nature; a canister for storing an absorbent that temporarily absorbs the evaporated fuel guided from the fuel tank through a conduit; and a purge passage that guides gas in the canister including evaporated fuel desorbed from said absorbent into an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine and purges said evaporated fuel.
9. An internal combustion engine for measuring a fuel nature, the internal combustion engine comprising: a measurement passage having an orifice therein; gas flow generating means for generating a gas flow in said measurement passage; differential pressure detecting means for detecting a differential pressure between opposite ends of said orifice; evaporated fuel concentration operating means for determining a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicates with said fuel tank and the fuel in the fuel tank flows in said measurement passage; temperature detecting means for determining a temperature of the fuel in said fuel tank; volatility calculation means for calculating a volatility of the fuel in said fuel tank as the fuel nature based on the concentration of the evaporated fuel determined by said evaporated fuel concentration operation means and the temperature determined by said temperature detecting means; fuel injection amount setting means for setting a fuel injection amount at the start of the internal combustion engine based on the measured fuel nature; a canister for storing an absorbent that temporarily absorbs the evaporated fuel guided from the fuel tank through a conduit; and a purge passage that guides gas in the canister including evaporated fuel desorbed from said absorbent into an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine and purges said evaporated fuel.
10. A method of measuring a nature of fuel stored in a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: storing an absorbent in a canister that temporarily absorbs evaporated fuel guided from the fuel tank through a conduit; guiding gas in the canister with a purge passage, the gas including the evaporated fuel desorbed from said absorbent into an intake pipe of the internal combustion engine and purging said evaporated fuel; generating a gas flow in a measurement passage having an orifice therein; detecting a differential pressure between opposite ends of said orifice; determining a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicates with said fuel tank and the fuel in the fuel tank flows in said measurement passage; determining a temperature of the fuel in said fuel tank; and calculating a volatility of the fuel in said fuel tank as the fuel nature based on the determined concentration of the evaporated fuel and the determined temperature.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising: providing a purge control valve in said purge passage to adjust a purge flow rate; and determining a concentration of the evaporated fuel based on the differential pressure detected when said opposite ends of said measurement passage communicate with said canister and fuel in the canister flows in said measurement passage.
12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising detecting a change in the state of said fuel tank.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein detecting the change in the state of the fuel tank includes detecting whether a fuel cap of said fuel tank is open or closed.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein detecting the change in the state of the fuel tank includes detecting an amount of the fuel in the fuel tank, and the tank is determined to be in the process of being filled when the fuel amount is increased to a predetermined reference amount.
15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the fuel nature is measured at prescribed time intervals.
16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a temperature at a location other than the fuel tank is detected, and the temperature of the fuel is estimated based on the temperature detected at the location other than said fuel tank.
17. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting a correction amount for an injection amount of fuel based on the measured fuel nature.
18. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting a fuel injection amount at the start of the internal combustion engine based on the measured fuel nature.
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August 2, 2005
September 18, 2007
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